Covering the business of education and training

The chair of the faculty senate at the University of Illinois at Springfield thinks they are a model of how distance learning edcuation can work well.

Not concentrating on business and technology, the school is putting up philosophy and English courses as well. Wow! Sounds hard to me (not as hard as masters programs online perhaps, but still ...).

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How long did the school work on creating this model, I wonder?

The people who teach the courses on the ground also teach online, making the courses indistinguishable online from the classroom says this chairperson.

Does she mean to say that students in the classroom can get all the information without looking up or paying attention to what their prof is saying?

She says that the profs are enjoying teaching these courses. Yep, they can do them in the peejays.

One professor on the committee that prepared the plan says that the university uses part-time faculty members and still keeps the quality of instruction high by providing adequate academic support.

Gee, all of this sounds like the existing fopros - quality curriculum, adequately supported faculty, enjoyment in teaching, matching the classroom experience?

So is UI at Springfield the model or are they modeling someone else? Say, University of Phoenix?

What do you think?